Mr. Maittaire obferves, That the Art of Grammar is the Key to all Learning; "The Neceffity of which (fays he) was never called in Queftion but "by the Ignorant; which none ever neglected, but "who fome time or other paid very dear for't by betraying the Want of that found Bottom ei

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ther in Writing or common Discourse. " The Author adds, That" it is now-a-Days the mi"ferable Fate of Grammar to be more whipped "than taught, and appears very much concerned for it. He complains of another Hardship. "The Youths (fays he) are forced to learn what they "can't understand, being hurried into Latin, bé. "fore they are well able to read English: As if this laft was fo defpicable, that it needed not, or fo bar

barous, that it could not be digefted into a Gram"matical Method. The Ignorance of English (con

tinues the Author) can never be a good Founda ❝tion or Ingredient towards difpofing of Youth for "the Learned Languages. The Knowledge of it "muft ferve as an Introduction' to them; élfe 'twill "be in vain to expect they'l ever be an Improvks ment to that. What is not known can't be im"proved; and 'tis by the Help of what we know, 66 that we learn what we know not."

Mr, Maittaire declares, that he cannot find any tolerable Reason why the Fair Sex fhould be excluded from the Benefit of the Ancient Languages. "As for that tender Sex, (fays he) which to fet off

we take fo much Pains and ufe fuch variety of "Breeding, fome for the Feet, fome for the Hands, "others for the Voice; what fhall I call it, Cruelty

or Ignorance, to debar them from the Accomplishment of Speech and Understanding? As if "that Sex was (as certainly we by Experience find "it is not) weak and defective in its Head and "Brains. "

This Grammar contains many useful Obfervations. The Author exemplifies in English the Rules of that Art, and draws a Parallel between that Language and the Learned ones; that the English may be an Introduction

Introduction to them, if the young Beginner is de figned for them, and if he is not, that he may be able to fpell and read English diftinctly, and speak truly and sensibly upon any Subject whatsoever.

ARTICLE XX.

A SECOND EXTRACT of Dr. RAMAZZINI's Treatise, fhewing how the Health of Princes may be preferved. (See above, ART. XVIII.)

V. R. Ramazzini complains, that Princes eat little Bread, and fometimes none at all, being contented to wipe their Fingers with the Crum. Good Bread (lays he) is a most wholsome Food, and affords the beft Nourishment. It does not fo eafily putrify as Flesh, Fish, and Fruit, and keeps a long time without lofing its Nutritive Virtue; and therefore it ought to be preferred to any other Food, and mixed with all other Aliments, in a certain Proportion. But there is no need of fixing the Quantity of it, as Marfilius Ficinus did.

The Author adds, That good Bread contains a great many fpirituous Particles. It affords by a Chymical Operation Acid and Volatile Spirits, which are an excellent Balfam to revive the Ferment of the Stomach. No one that enjoys a good Health, grows weary of Bread; and when a fick Perfon comes to relish Bread, 'tis look'd upon as a fign of his being on the mending hand. 'Tis obfervable, that fome Vol. IV. People

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Panis efto duplus ad potum, triplus ad carnes, quadruplus ad pifces. Marfil. Ficinus, De Studioforum Sanisate tuenda. Lib. II.

People have an Antipathy againft Wine, or fome other Things, fuch as Cheefe, Eggs, &c. whereas there is hardly any Inftance of any Perfon, who had an Averfion for Bread, befides a Maid in the LowCountries mentioned by Bruyerinus. That Maid being Sixteen Years of Age, had never tafted any Bread; and whenever the leaft Crum was put into Whey, of which she was a great Lover, fhe felt a rifing in the Stomach. 'Tis well known, that those who eat little Bread and a great deal of Flesh, have a ftinking Breath; which may easily be accounted for. Flefh being naturally fubject to Corruption, can afford none but corrupt Juices, unless it be mixed with a great deal of Bread. Laftly, the Author fays, That there is no Smell more pleafant and comfortable than that of Bread juft come from the Oven.

He looks upon wild Fowl and Venison as the worst Sort of Meat, because it is not eafily digefted, and lies heavy upon the Stomach. The fame may be faid of Beef, Pork, Water-Fowl, and large Sea-fifh. They afford thick Juices, and occafion feveral Obftructions in the Veffels of the Blood and the Vifcera. Tis an ufual thing to keep hard Meat fome Days, till it grows more tender; but Dr. Ramazzini thinks that fuch Meat is not fo wholfome, because it loses a great many Spirits; and he believes, as Hippocrates does, that fresh Meat is the beft. It were better (fays he) to beat hard Meat, because when its Fibres are broke, it grows fofter, and confequently may be more easily digefted.

Dr. Ramazzini adds, That thofe Fowls which feed in the open Air, and in the Fields, are better than thofe that are fed at Home. These are fatter, but not fo wholfome for want of Exercife. In a Word, that Flesh is the best, which does eafily tranfpire, fuch as Mutton, as Sanctorius obferves, and in general, any Flesh that does not lie heavy upon the Stomach, that is eafily diffolved, and does not stay long in the Body. Our Author does not approve eating much Fruit, nor the frequent ufe of cooling Liquors, fuch as Lemonade, c. Speaking of the

Ule

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Ufe of Snow in Summer-time, he obferves, That when there is little or no Snow in the Winter, 'tis frequently a Sign of a very fickly Year. Dr. Ramazzini thinks, that Wine growing in a Plain is more wholfome than that which grows upon a Hill. He recommends fmall, or ftrained Wines; and fays, the Wines of the Dutchy of Modena are not inferior to thofe of Tuscany.

VI. In the next Chapter, the Author fhews how neceffary it is to ufe fome Exercife for the Prefervation of Health. He approves feveral Sorts of Exercife, fuch as Riding, Hunting, Dancing, &c. but he thinks Walking is the beft, and applies to the human Body, what Virgil fays of Fame:

Mobilitate viget, virefque acquirit eundo.

Walking (fays he) is very wholfome before Dinner and Supper: It revives the Heat of the Body, helps the Circulation of the Blood, increases Transpiration, and removes Obftructions. Dr. Ramazzini reckons the lawful Use of Venereal Pleafures among Exercifes; but (fays he) fuch an Exercife is very prejudi cial to Health, unless it be used with Moderation. Whereupon he quotes a Saying of Lycurgus, and calls" it Dictum elegantiffimum. That Wife Legislator (says he) being asked, Why he had made a Law importing, That Husbands fhould not lie every Night in the fame Bed with their Wives? anfwered, That he' had done it for Three Reasons: Firft, Because a Man would be more brisk and lively, not having always his Wife by his Side: Secondly, Because the Love of a married Couple would be revived and kept up by that Means: Thirdly, Because they would get Children of a ftronger and more lively Conftitution. Our Author adds, That a Moderate Use of the Pleasures of Love helps the Circulation of the Blood, and enlarges the Veffels. Which gives him Occafion to obferve, that Women were not ignorant of this laft Effect in ancient Times. They used to meafure

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meafure the Neck of a Bride with a Thread, before she went to the Nuptial Bed; and in the Morning they measured her Neck again with the fame Thread; and if it happened to be too fhort, they, cried out with great Joy, that the Bride was no longer a Maid. Catullus alludes to that Custom in thefe Verses:

Non illam Nutrix orienti luce revifens

Hofterno poterit collum circumdare filo.

VII. The Author fhews how dangerous it is to invert the Order of Nature, by fitting up the greatest part of the Night, and rifing very late. He thinks, that Seven or Eight Hours Sleep is fufficient for any Body.

Septem boras dormisse fat eft juvenique fenique.

Dr. Ramazzini informs us, That he has often-enquir ed into the Reason why Sleep is fo neceffary, that a Man can hardly live without it; but he never could fatisfy himself about that Enquiry. What he fays upon that Subject deferves to be inferted here.

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If

any one fhould fay, That Sleep is very neceffary to recruit the Spirits, that are daily loft by Watch"ing, and by the Animal Operations; I answer, "That the infenfible Diffipation which attends Sleep, "does very much exceed what we lose when we

are up, and exercise our Bodies, as the Learned "Sanctorius obferved in his Medicina Statica. If it "be further faid, That Digeftion is better performed "when we are asleep, because the Heat and the Spi"rits retire inwardly; and that the Nutritive Juice "is then more quickly applied to the feveral Parts,

infomuch that fome Animals grow fat by Sleeping, "which does not happen when they are awake, be"cause the Heat and the Spirits run to the external Parts I anfwer, That tho' all this be true; yet it does not appear from thence why Sleep

"fhould